Trending Now: Home Remodeling

Millennials are now the largest group of homebuyers, making up 35% of all buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors. And with this shift in buying demographics comes an equally dramatic shift in what homeowners want from a home.

For home remodeling services, this provides an opportunity to target millennials who are interested in remodeling their homes. The key is having a firm understanding of who Millennials are and what they want in their homes. Topping the list of trends are:

Separate laundry rooms

Energy efficiency

Smart home technology

Home offices

Outdoor spaces

Understanding their needs

These trends are easy-to-understand and accommodate. But simply addressing them is not enough to win over this large and diverse group. The challenge is in understanding – and addressing – the underlying motivators that drive Millennials to invest in remodeling their homes. Millennials want to create experiences, and they want to have the ability to express themselves. This manifests in their homes as a desire for entertaining space and a need for individuality and customization.

Flexibility is key

First, Millennials want flexible rooms where they can entertain friends and family – or change the role of a room to accommodate their changing lifestyles. According to Scott Davis, SVP at Meyers Research, “The Millennial outlook on life is a quest for experience.” He continues, “Millennials are looking for places to have and share experiences with friends and family. They’re focused on doing things besides working on their house and acquiring a lot of stuff.”

Help them express themselves

Second, Millennials expect to be able to stand out and use their homes as a means of self-expression. This means expanding catalogs to include more choices – whereas a limited selection of countertop options may have been acceptable with older generations, Millennials expect to be able to sift through endless options to find the style that is perfectly suited to their wants. Stocking inventory – or even stocking samples – to satiate the endless desires of Millennials is unrealistic, but creating a digital presence is a cost-effective means for addressing their needs. Another benefit to creating a robust digital presence is the ability to drive engagement.

Establish your business as a resource

While endless possibility is critical, simply offering selection or addressing trends will not win business. Home remodelers need to come across as thought leaders, taste-makers, and trendsetters. Pinterest, Instagram, and other social channels are effective for spotlighting and curating content. Other impactful channels utilize site, sound, motion, and storytelling to bring to life what may otherwise be flat and transactional. And arguably one of the most important platforms is mobile, which put your business directly in the hands of Millennials, who represent the most connected generation in terms of smartphone ownership.

We can help!

If you’re not sure how to connect with Millennials, or if you would like to learn more about this highly desirable audience, connect with us online or give us a call at 410-749-7171. Let’s grow your business together.